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Viking statue pushed into Schuylkill River on Boathouse Row

Published  October 2, 2018 7:43pm EDT
U.S.
FOX 29 Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - PHILADELPHIA (AP/WTXF) -- Police say vandals toppled a 100-year-old Viking statue along the Schuylkill River overnight.

Authorities found the 7-foot-4-inch statue of Thorfinn Karlsefni submerged in the Schuylkill River around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. The statue represents the Icelandic explorer who is thought to have visited America around 1004 A.D.

The statue weighs several thousand pounds, and police say they will need a crane to pull it from the water.

Doug Martenson renovated the statue after previous vandalism, and he says it could cost thousands of dollars to repair.

The same statue was the site of white nationalist demonstrations around this time last year and was vandalized with anti-Nazi messaging.

No arrests have been made in connection with the recent damage, which comes a few days ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles' matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.